2015 Peugeot 208 Active she says, he says review

He: Peugeot has had a second crack at getting its 208 in the right spot in the busy city car segment. It has realigned the range on price and equipment as well as replacing the lacklustre old 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a new 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder. What was your first impression of the 208, Jessica?

She: As the Peugeot 208 won international engine of the year award, I was keen to experience the performance once I got behind the wheel. Despite the small engine, I found it was very capable. The car was speedy and zippy, being responsive in both acceleration and steering. The engine was a little rough on idle, with the slight 'kicks' being fairly discernible. Despite this, I did enjoy the overall experience, and never felt the car lacked the required power. What were your thoughts Steve?

He: You're right about the rough idle, it has the typical three-cylinder 'thrum' that is becoming increasingly common. I was able to drive this new model back-to-back with the old 1.6 and the difference is dramatic; a big improvement. The old engine was mated to a four-speed auto, which was, to be frank, out-dated. Like you, I was impressed with the willingness of the engine. The 208 is a compact car so it doesn't need much power to get going. One thing Peugeot hasn't changed is the unconventional interior - tiny steering wheel and high-mounted instrumentation. What do you think of the cabin?

She: I liked the interior. I found it worked well with my size and the high mounted instrumentation made it quite easy to keep track of all necessary information. The touchscreen was fairly intuitive for this price bracket and I had no issues using it on the go. The rear parking sensors and camera were helpful as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the experience was different for a larger driver. The small steering wheel could be awkward for anyone broad. I also found the position of the gear stick a little low. For the majority of my time with the car, I remained in auto because it was too awkward to switch gears in tiptronic. Did you find the cabin design awkward?

French flair: The Peugeot 208 interior. Photo: Supplied

He: It is a tough one for me. I'm a bit taller than you (about 180cm) so getting the steering wheel in a comfortable position that didn't interfere with my vision of the speedo was a little tricky. But on the other hand I really love the small steering wheel - it gives the 208 a sporty feel. As for the rest of the cabin, I agree with you, the touchscreen looks good and is easy to use; a nice job by Peugeot. The Active model we tested, which is one up from the base Access, was pretty well equipped, I thought.

She: I agree. I liked the connectivity and had no troubles connecting my phone via bluetooth for music and calls. The system auto connected once set up which made starting off easy. I could see Peugeot had made an effort to maintain the sporty styling with the leather steering wheel and carbon fibre effect on the dash. Externally I think the car has a great look with a more defined front face, angular LED headlights as well as the 16-inch alloys that create a playful, sporty design that isn't too aggressive. Being a small car, it did not have that comforting 'thud' when the doors shut. The sound was actually quite 'tinny' and I even had passengers comment on it. Whether that's a deal breaker, I'm not sure. What do you think?

He: Overall I think the 208 is a good little car but at $21,990 (plus on-road costs) it is at the high end of the city car market. And despite the price I think it lacks the polish and value of some of its rivals, like the Mazda2, Volkswagen Polo and even the new Skoda Fabia. In the end I'd rather opt for one of those than this little Frenchie. You?

She: I am not sold on the Peugeot and my main concern would be the long-term servicing costs as well as decline in resale value. Whilst it is a decent car with some great features and a good little engine, I do not think it is outstanding enough to go past some of its main competitors especially the Mazda2 and VW Polo.